Improvement in steam-engine governors



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JAMES PARLANE, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

Leners Parent No. 90,294, dazed May 1s, 1869.

IIMPROVEIENT IN STEAM-ENGINE GOVERNORS.

IThe Schedule referred to in these Letters 'Patent and makingv part 0fthe same.

ing, forming part of this specification, and which represents a sideelevation of a governor constructed in accordance with my invention.

This, my improvement, has reference to centrifugal governors, applicableto controlling the speed of steamengines, and other purposes or uses, inwhich the balls attached to radius-rods that revolve around a verticalaxis are directed, in being thrown in or out, to travel in a curve orcurves of a parobolic or cycloidal character, as' contradistinguishedfrom the arc of a circle or circles.

To eifect this, it is necessary that the distance of the balls from thepivots, or working-centre or centres of the radius-rods, should vary inthe swing of the balls, and that a proper direction to the latter shouldbe given by a suitably-curved bracket or track carried bythe revolvingvertical spindle of the governor.

In the ordinary centrifugal engine-governor, in which the balls swing inthe arcs of circles, or at a uniform distance from the points ofsuspension, to shut ol` steam to the necessary extent, when the load isremoved from the engine, requires a corresponding increase of speed inthe engine before the balls can be sufficiently elevated to effect theshutting off of the steam.

Such a governor is necessarily very imperfect or slow in its action, andlacks seusitiveness.

Now, it is knownthat the centrifugal force of the balls of a governor isdependent upon their distance from the centre of the governor-spindle;thus, if the balls be twice as far from said spindleas they formerlywere, their centrifugal force is doubled, and they will be enabled tosustain themselves in places twice as high as formerly. i

This law establishes the parabolic or cycloidal curve as the correct oneto hold the balls in a state of balance, that is, it will support theballs ou any point in the curve, the speed of the governor remaining theSame.

Centrifugal governors, having their balls thus directed and sustainedina state of balance, and which have been termed parabolic governors,are much more prompt and perfect in theiraction, but have heretoforebeen defective in construction, the balls usually being made in halveswith their radius-rods working on fixed points of suspension above andslotted below to embrace pins connecting the two halves of the balls,

which have been made to roll on the curved bracket or track.

Such construction materially impairs the eciency of the governor andadds to its expense.

My invention consists in such a construction ofthe.

governor as that the radius-rods are slotted above to have freecompensating play at the centre of suspension, and are connected in afixed or positive manner to the balls below, which balls may be madewhole or entire, with rollers on their radius-rods or arms, arranged torun on the curved bracket or track that directs the swing of .the balls,said track, by this arrangement, lying above the balls, and between thelatter and their centre of suspension, thus giving a free and moreeffective action to the balls. i

Such improved construction is shown in the drawing, wherein A A are theballs and B B the radiusrods or arms, slotted above, as at A A, toestablish the necessary compensating play about or across a centre of'suspension or motion, b, on the revolving spindle C of the governor,

D is the curved bracket or track, carried by the spindle O, and ofparabolic or cycloidal character, on its upper edge, on which `rollers EE, attached to the radius-rods, rest and run, said bracket thus beingarranged above the balls, and between them and their centre ofsuspension.

The means for communicating :notion from the governor to thethrottle-valve may be varied, but the same is here shown as effectedbylink-rods c c, jointed at their lower ends tothe upper extremities ofthe radins-rods, and at their upper onds to the coupling joints' or headd of the valve-stem e, `which is carried down through thegovernor-spindle to connect with the throttle-valve.

What is here claimed, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is

The combination of the slotted radius arms B B,

the track D, and rollers E E, substantially as speci.A

hed. j

JAMES PARLAN E.

Witnesses Fenna. HAYNEs,

J. W. CooMBs.

